Ancient Suns logo, alien star and two planets

Kids Astronomy





Make Your Own Planet

You get to choose what kind of star, how big a planet, how close and much more.



1) Choose Your Star

Here you pick what kind of star to have. This tells us how big the star is. It also tells us how hot it is. This star will be the sun to your new planet. This includes only normal "dwarf" stars — no dense white dwarfs, no black holes, and no giant stars.

Your New Sun is a:
Yellow dwarf

Our own sun is a G-dwarf (G2V).

kids astronomy: primary star, or planet's sun

M0V

K0V

G0V

F0V

A0V

B0V

O5V


2) Choose How Close Your Planet is to its Sun

This tells us how hot your planet will be. Simply click on an "X" marker to change the distance of your planet from its new sun.

Your Planet is:
Warm

kids astronomy: planetary temperature
kids astronomy: alien sun
X

X

X

X

X

X

X
 


3) Choose How Big a Planet to Have

This tells us how heavy you would be on the surface of your planet.

kids astronomy: shrinking boy under increased gravity Your New Planet
kids astronomy: new planet
kids astronomy: Earth
Earth
Radius x Earth
0.7
1.0
1.3
1.5
2.0
2.5
 
 

0.7g

1g

1.3g

1.5g

2g

2.5g
 


4) Choose How Much Air Your Planet Will Have

This tells us how much air your planet will have. Simply click on the wavy-line (~) marker to change the amount of air your planet receives.

Your Atmosphere is:
Just Right

kids astronomy: planetary atmosphere

~

~

~

~

~
 


5) Choose How Much Ocean Your Planet Will Have

 

* * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * *

NOTE: If on step #2, you choose "Fried!" close to your sun, or on step #4, you choose "Zero!" air for your planet, you will not have an ocean. All the water will have boiled away!

* * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * * N O T I C E * * *

This tells us how wet your planet will be. Simply click on an "%" number to change the amount of ocean coverage. Earth is covered about 70% by water.

Your Planet is:
A Mix of Islands and Continents

kids astronomy: planet map, ocean percentage
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Picture of Mount Everest courtesy Wikipedia.org. Sunset, May 5, 2007. Author: Thomas.fanghaenel.